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The Boston Celtics have fallen back to the pack in the Eastern Conference after alternating wins and losses over the past few weeks. Once the king of the NBA after a 16-game winning streak lifted them to the best record in the league, the Cs are dealing with some adversity following losses to Chicago and Utah. The New York Knicks were the second victim in Boston’s long winning streak, but things have changed since then. The Knicks are on a run of their own and they’ve been dangerous at home recently, setting the stage for what should be an exciting matchup.
Don’t miss the hardwood action from Madison Square Garden at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 21, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on TNT. We’ll have NBA opening odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Thursday schedule.
Odds Analysis
The Knicks’ 14 home wins are the most in the East and tied for the most in the NBA and they are riding a four-game homecourt winning streak heading into Thursday’s tussle. Overall the Knickerbockers are 14-5 SU and ATS at the Garden, which should give them a boost when the East’s top team invades. New York successfully dealt with Lonzo Ball’s first visit to the Garden, beating the Lakers in overtime last week, and they defeated Carmelo Anthony and the Thunder on Sunday. Boston ended the week with a win over Memphis but went just 3-3 SU and 2-3-1 ATS in its previous six games.
Scheduling Situation
The league adjusted its schedule to reduce the number of back-to-back games for teams, but the Celtics will be experiencing such a situation on Thursday. After losing at home to Utah, the Cs hit the road and defeated Memphis in their most recent back-to-back scenario. Overall they are 3-2 SU and 2-3 ATS in the second of consecutive games this season with the last four coming on the road.
Thursday’s game is also the third in four nights for the Celtics with plenty of travel involved. Following Monday’s game in Indianapolis, the Cs return home for a battle with the Miami Heat before making the short trip to Manhattan. The Knicks, meanwhile, will have two full days of rest before welcoming the East’s top team.
Player to Watch
Kyrie Irving has been through just about everything during his career and his experience will help the Celtics navigate through what’s become a tough stretch. Things weren’t going to go as smoothly as they did at the start of the year and if anyone knows the rigors of the NBA schedule it’s Irving, who dealt with unusual situations in Cleveland the past few years. Coaching changes, injuries and personnel adjustments were all a part of what the Cavs did, yet they managed to reach the past three NBA Finals winning one title.
Irving’s veteran influence will be just as valuable as his on-court talent. Through Sunday the Celtics have played the most games of any team in the league and the recent stretch is a test, according to Irving. He helped the team back in the win column by dropping 20 in a win over Memphis and leads the team with an average of 24.2 points per game, almost 10 points per outing higher than Jaylen Brown and Al Horford.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Knicks are playing their best basketball of the season and they continued their win streak without their top two scorers. New York welcomed Carmelo Anthony back to the Garden and defeated OKC by 15 points without Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr., who combine to average over 43 points per game. Other players needed to step up and Michael Beasley seized the opportunity by scoring 30 points against the Thunder.
But the bottom line is that the Knicks can’t and won’t survive without Porzingis and probably not without Hardaway. The more time they miss the better the chances are for the Knicks to lose. Porzingis should be back in the lineup Thursday night, which helps the offense, but the Celtics are the better team and as they work through a tough stretch, they’ll lean on Kyrie to get them through. Oh, and there’s Al Horford, another vet that’s been through the ringer. The Knicks keep it close against a fatigued club, but in the end the Celtics will come away with the victory.
NBA Odds: Celtics 108, Knicks 104
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